Best 5 acoustic instrumental artists/cds

Hi All - This rocker is looking to expand my horizons & explore the acoustic side of instrumental music (not genre specific).

Any recommendations are appreciated as to where I should start.

I’m open to jazz & progressive artists such as Steve Howe of Yes. I also appreciate Peter White/Al Stewart and Willy Porter.

My only exclusions are bluegrass, country music & easy listening.

Thanks

 

I recommend you check out John Renbourn's albums like The Black Balloon, The Lady and the Unicorn, Nine Maidens, The Hermit and collaborations like After the Dance, Snap a Little Owl and Three Kingdoms.

 

The Snow Goose - Camel

 

Steve Hackett - Bay of Kings.

 

Hey rocker, have your cake and eat it too: Tony [RIP] has the bona fides! Enjoy

https://www.amazon.com/12-Song-Program-Tony-Sly/dp/B0032IAB3S

 

You might like Yiruma.



His album The Best - Reminiscent 10th Anniversary would be a good place to start.

 

Michael Hedges. I'd say start with his first two, Breakfast In The Field and Aerial Boundaries.

 

Harry Manx...20 Strings and The Truth
Peter Case...Blue Guitar
Kelly Joe Phelps..Slingshot Professionals
Hot Tuna Live At The Fillmore 1969

 

Just wanted to thank you all for the helpful replies. I've only lately begun to appreciate Steve Hackett - an amazing musician! I have heard a little bit of Michael Hedges but I've not dug deeper into his work yet. Regarding the other artists - I'm not aware of them so it looks like I have some homework ahead of me.

Thanks again!

 

Martin Simpson - Cool and Unusual

 

Here's a cool instrumental album featuring Buckethead on acoustic, along with Jonas Hellborg and Michael Shrieve. You might enjoy it.

 

I'll add one more here since I brought up Buckethead. This stuff was recorded during 1991 and finally released 2007.
Some excellent playing here.

 

Penguin Cafe Orchestra - Broadcasting From Home, etc

 

That’s not acoustic, but it’s a really great album nonetheless.

 

the original......


Leo Kottke 6 & 12 String Guitar - YouTube

 

Gordon Giltrap has some nice acoustic instrumental stuff.



Phil Keaggy, although a lot of his material has vocals.

 

Jerry Garcia/David Grisman - So What is one of my favorites.

Does something like Coltrane Live at Birdland count? It's piano, upright bass, saxophone, and drums.

 

You might be interested in Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. Not necessarily for the music, but for the album cover, you might want to start with Whipped Cream.

 

Yeah, I missed the acoustic bit. I almost went on an embarrassing tear there!

 

I highly recommend A Meeting By The River, by V.M. Bhatt and Ry Cooder.

 

I'm a long-time Sandy Bull fan. My 10th grade English teacher brought Inventions in to class on day in 1966, told us to get out paper and a pen and said, "When I start this record, I want you to write."
"Write what, Miss Painter?" we asked.
"Whatever comes to you mind. Just write."

That day was a revelation for me on many levels.

 

Old and In The Way. 10/10 for me.

 

Any number of John Fahey albums

 

Indeed he has! Highly recommended!

 

Oregon, Out of the Woods